A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Santa Barbara vs. Beaver Creek for Hiking, Families, Couples, and Food

Should you visit Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a affluent, scenic, and stunning coastal town. Since it's a large city, you'll find plenty of things to do. Many visitors also come because of it's amazing beauty. This is a quaint and attractive place to visit, too. Other reasons to visit include hiking, shopping, and museums.

Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek is a adventurous, charming, and active town. Other popular activities here include skiing, food, and hiking.

Santa Barbara and Beaver Creek: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

Visitors will usually find more to do in Santa Barbara than Beaver Creek, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. Santa Barbara is better known for its museums, nightlife, resorts, scuba diving & snorkeling, beaches, historical sights, hiking, shopping, big city activities, impressive beauty, and quaint atmosphere, while Beaver Creek is more popular for its skiing and theatre productions. Beaver Creek is more touristy than Santa Barbara and is popular for its skiing and charming atmosphere Santa Barbara is well known for its historic missions, pristine beaches, world-class surfing, and scenic hikes that are full of coastal views. Also, Santa Barbara is famous for The Old Mission Santa Barbara.

How is Santa Barbara different from Beaver Creek?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Beaver Creek and Santa Barbara. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Skiing?

Beaver Creek is renowned for snow skiing. However, Santa Barbara is not a skiing destination.

If you're an avid snow skiier, Beaver Creek should be on your list. Beaver Creek Ski Resort is a top ski destination with 26 lifts and 149 different trails. It climbs to an elevation of 11,440 feet and the village is filled with ski-in/ski-out accommodation. There's also an excellent ski school.

Santa Barbara is not a skiing destination.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

Santa Barbara is a great coastal town for its historical sights. However, Beaver Creek does not have museums and landmarks.

With a variety of museums, monuments, and historical sights, a trip to Santa Barbara can be an interesting and educational experience. The city is famous for its missions, with Mission Santa Barbara being the most iconic. Also visit the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Sea Center.

Beaver Creek does not have museums and landmarks.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Theater?

Beaver Creek is not a good place to visit for its shows and theatre. However, Santa Barbara is not a theatre destination.

Beaver Creek has a few theater choices. There are a couple of art galleries around town.

Santa Barbara is not a theatre destination.

Is the Food Better in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

There are opportunities to sample the local cuisine at very good restaurants in both Santa Barbara and Beaver Creek.

Dining out in Santa Barbara is an experience not to be missed. The city is best known for its fine dining, particularly if you enjoy seafood. The scallops, oysters, clam chowder, and sea urchin (when available) are all world class. Head for a waterfront setting for the best views and some of the freshest seafood.

The food selection at local restaurants is excellent in Beaver Creek. There are many great dining options where you can enjoy a meal after working up an appetite on the slopes. The cuisine has many mountain classics as well as fine dining and more casual restaurants.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Nightlife?

Santa Barbara is a nice place to visit for nightlife. However, Beaver Creek is not known for nightlife and partying.

If you're looking for night time activities Santa Barbara has a few options to choose from. For the best nightlife in the city, head downtown to State Street. This is where you'll find the most active bars and biggest crowds. There's a large student population in town, so you'll find much of the nightlife scene is focused on the younger population.

Most people don't head to Beaver Creek specifically for the nightlife scene, but you can find a few options. You won't find a wild nightlife scene, but most of the activities center around the Vilar Performing Arts Center.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Resorts?

Santa Barbara is a great coastal town for its luxury resorts. Also, Beaver Creek is not as popular, but is still a nice town for its resorts.

Santa Barbara is a popular resort destination that attracts visitors from everywhere. Many people enjoy the luxurious vacation rentals around Santa Barbara, but there are also a number of high end resorts including the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort, The Ritz-Carlton, and Hotel Californian.

With a selection of resorts, Beaver Creek makes a nice vacation spot. There are many resorts in the area including the Westin and the Hyatt.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Scuba Diving and Snorkeling?

Santa Barbara is adequate for the nearby scuba diving and snorkeling. However, Beaver Creek is not a scuba or snorkeling destination.

There are few places where you can go snorkeling in Santa Barbara. Snorkeling areas not far from town include Refugio State Beach and Tajiguas. You'll see a few fish, beautiful rocks, and anemones that are unique and impressive.

Beaver Creek is not a scuba or snorkeling destination.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Beaches?

Santa Barbara is a world-class destination for its beaches. However, Beaver Creek is not a beach destination.

The beaches in Santa Barbara are among the best in the world. The city is famous for its pristine, sandy beaches. Whether you want to enjoy world class surfing or enjoy a gentle ocean setting, Santa Barbara has many options.

Beaver Creek is not a beach destination.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for its Old Town?

Santa Barbara is a nice place to visit for its historic old town. However, Beaver Creek does not have a historic old town.

Santa Barbara is a good destination for visiting its old town. The city's downtown "Old Town" is a high end, pedestrian-friendly area with plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment options.

Beaver Creek does not have a historic old town.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Hiking?

Santa Barbara is a world-class destination for hiking. Also, Beaver Creek is not as popular, but is still a nice town for the nearby hiking options.

Known for its hiking, Santa Barbara draws a crowd to experience the nature and the trails. Just outside of town are countless hiking opportunities that offer spectacular ocean views. Popular hikes include Inspiration Point, San Ysidro Trail, and Cold Spring East Fork.

Beaver Creek is a popular spot for hiking. The surrounding countryside is filled with trails that take you through flowered meadows, along scenic ridgelines, and to the top of dramatic peaks. During the warmer months, hiking is a wonderful way to enjoy the area.

Is the Shopping Better in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

Santa Barbara is a world-class destination for shopping. Also, Beaver Creek is not as popular, but is still a nice town for its shopping opportunities.

People travel from around the world to go shopping in Santa Barbara. The city is famous as a high end shopping destination. Head to State Street for a palm tree lined street with local boutiques.

Beaver Creek offers some nice shopping areas. The village has pedestrian streets that are lined with fashion boutiques, jewelry stores, sporting equipment stores, and art galleries.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Families?

Beaver Creek is renowned for its family-friendly activities. Also, Santa Barbara is not as famous, but is still a good coastal town to visit for its kid-friendly activities.

As it has a large number of activities for kids, Beaver Creek is a very family-friendly destination. This is one of the most kid-friendly ski resorts in the country. There's a ski and snowboard school where kids can enjoy private or group lessons as well as other fun activities for kids. There are also many family-friendly restaurants in the area.

Santa Barbara is a very family-friendly destination. The city has some nice family-friendly activities including a zoo, some cool museums, and even whale watching. There are also many beautiful beaches where everyone can run around and play, as well as parks and other outdoor settings. For animal-lovers, there are wildlife centers and sea life opportunities.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Couples?

Santa Barbara is a world-class destination for romance. Also, Beaver Creek is not as popular, but is still a nice town for its romantic activities.

Santa Barbara has so much to offer for a romantic couple's vacation. The town is a stunningly beautiful destination with beautiful beaches, excellent shopping, and nice resorts that make for a great honeymoon or romantic trip.

Beaver Creek is a very popular place to visit for couples. There are romantic resorts nearby as well as great adventure sports, skiing, snowboarding, and a beautiful setting.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Students?

Santa Barbara is a great coastal town for its student-friendly activities. However, Beaver Creek is not popular with students.

Santa Barbara is a great coastal town to visit as a student. With a major university right in town, there's plenty of student life that international students or locals can enjoy.

Beaver Creek is not popular with students.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Both Santa Barbara and Beaver Creek offer notable public transit options.

Santa Barbara has a few public transit options. Transit options include buses, trolleys and water taxis.

Beaver Creek has some public transit options. There free transportation that's offered by Village Transportation.

Is Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek a more walkable city?

Beaver Creek is renowned for its ease of walking around. Also, Santa Barbara is not as famous, but is still a good coastal town to visit for its walkability.

It is easy to get around Beaver Creek on foot. It's a quaint little village that is very walkable.

Santa Barbara is very walkable. The downtown area is very pedestrian-friendly and best explored on foot.

For even more information, also check out Is Santa Barbara Worth Visiting? and Is Beaver Creek Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Beaver Creek or Santa Barbara?

How long in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

Both Santa Barbara and Beaver Creek have a number of activities to choose from. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in Beaver Creek than in Santa Barbara. Usually, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for Santa Barbara, and 3-7 days is enough time in Beaver Creek.

Families should spend more time in Beaver Creek than Santa Barbara. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Beaver Creek, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Santa Barbara than Beaver Creek. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Santa Barbara that are great for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Santa Barbara than Beaver Creek if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Santa Barbara.

One day in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

In Santa Barbara, many people enjoy the food and shopping that this wealthy coastal town offers. Many travelers plan to spend time hiking while in the area. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything.

Many travelers enjoy the shopping and skiing when visiting the active destination of Beaver Creek. Many visitors also spend a good bit of time hiking. Don't miss the skiing, as that's what most people do. Your budget might influence how long you stay. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

A weekend in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

Santa Barbara is a fun place to experience. People often spend their time relaxing at one of the resorts. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. It will give you the chance to have new experiences. So, a weekend is just the right amount of time to spend here.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Beaver Creek. Make sure you spend some time hiking while you're in the area. Don't miss the skiing, as that's what most people do. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do. A weekend is usually not enough time for a trip here as there is plenty to do.

Five days in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the opulent destination of Santa Barbara. Hikers are also drawn to this area. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. Five days is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days.

Many travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the charming destination of Beaver Creek. Many travelers plan to spend time hiking while in the area. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. If you have five days, this is a great place to go. Five days is usually enough time to experience most activities.

A week in Santa Barbara or Beaver Creek?

Santa Barbara is a popular place to visit. Many visitors also spend a good bit of time hiking. One week may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Many travelers enjoy the shopping and skiing when visiting the town of Beaver Creek. Hiking can easily take up a good amount of your time here, too. Plenty of people spend one week in the area when traveling.So, one week is just the right amount of time to spend here. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in United States of America, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in United States of America, The Best Coach Bus Tours in United States of America, and The Best Adventure Tours to United States of America.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santa Barbara and Beaver Creek, we can see that Beaver Creek is more expensive. And not only is Santa Barbara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Santa Barbara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Barbara and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Beaver Creek would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Beaver Creek than you might in Santa Barbara.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santa Barbara Expensive? and Is Beaver Creek Expensive?.